With a serious dearth of new releases this week, we’ve decided to go back in time to the cinema of 1948, giving our top tens, favourite performances, and disappointments from the year, which drags out the episode to a typically strenuous length. Meanwhile, there’s a trio of deaths in the film world, and a Franco double bill, which includes nuclear romance “Grand Central” and Fanny Ardant in bourgeois drama “Bright Days Ahead.” Pete’s rundown of the latter of those threatened to be as candid as the film itself, but you’ll have to listen to find out whether its boldness had us weak at the knees, or reaching for the sick bowl. The week’s big movie is “Dawn of the Planet of Apes,” which neither of us were looking forward to, but which does give us time to ponder Mark Wahlberg’s ascent to leading man status, Gary Oldman’s recent career choices, and the absurdity of internal ape politics. Elsewhere, discover how Frieda Pinto gets the raw end of the deal, why Manohla Dargis is the Queen of the fake allegory, and why what happened behind the vicarage in Sutton Park remains a mystery.

The week’s news:

The death of James Garner

The death of Elaine Stritch

The death of Tom Rolf

“The Imitation Game” will open this year’s London Film Festival

“Gone Girl” will open this year’s New York Film Festival

[5:15 – 15:20]

Preconception Corner

Reviews of:

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Bright Days Ahead

Grand Central

[23:30 – 52:55]

Closing Segment:Discussing our favourite films and performances from 1948, touching upon films by Alfred Hitchcock, Roberto Rossellini, and John Ford, and performances by Olivia De Havilland, Walter Huston, and Laurence Olivier!